The Shepherds

The Rev. Joseph Winston

Christmass Eve 2006

Sermon

Grace and peace are gifts for you from God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.1
The life of the shepherd is very hard. There are no vacation days, sick days, or
even time off for good behavior. Day in and day out, you must stay with the sheep
to protect them from the wild animals and the unscrupulous men who would steal
from others. All the conveniences of the city life must be left behind. The food
comes from what you find in the field or what you can carry. A few rich men
might have tents to sleep in but for the most part, you sleep under the stars and
experience all the extremes of weather first hand. You know the noonday heat that
saps your strength. You fear the cold that makes you sleep your last. Some of other
shepherds have families but they say to you that they never have a chance to see
them since they keep their wife and children away from all this hardship.
1
Romans 1:7, 1 Corinthians 1:3, 2 Corinthians 1:2, Galatians 1:3, Ephesians 1:2, Philippians
1:2, 2 Thessalonians 1:2, Philemon 1:3

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 The shepherds like to tell themselves it was not always like this. In the good
old days, when more people lived close to the land, people looked up to shepherds.
People loved them because the shepherds embodied everything that was required
of a great leader. The real shepherds could keep the wild animals at bay and in
doing so, kept his animals alive. These men used whatever weapons at hand to
protect the sheep from predators. The most celebrated shepherds of old were those
men who had an uncanny tracking instinct. These men were almost always able
to find the lost young lambs and carefully bring them back to their mothers. A
good shepherd knew every trick in the book. He could remove all the burs and
brambles from the sheep’s coats and he was able to treat their wounds. It was
generally agreed by all that a true leader almost instinctively could tell what the
sheep needed. This type of man knew the good pastures and he would lead his
flock there so that they could graze in peace.
Their deeds of honor, bravery, intelligence and cunning were passed down
from father to son. Some of the most famous shepherds have achieved near myth-
ical status. These men still proudly recall David the king who was first a shepherd
who kept his father’s flocks.
But those days have long come and gone. With the coming of the Babylonians,
the Greeks, and now the Romans, no one wants to be a shepherd any more. Why
would any boy dream of slaying a lion with a slingshot when he could man a
catapult in Caesar’s army and help maintain the worldwide peace? Romans do not
need to have men who can track animals because they have dogs who can do the
job faster. The whole idea that shepherds make good leaders is frankly outmoded.

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Everyone knows that the best leaders, like Caesar Augustus, come from schools
of philosophy and not from the fields that surround Jerusalem.
This dislike of shepherds and their way of life has trickled through every level
of society. Mothers now warn their children to stay away from these men. The
comedians around town use them as the butt of their jokes. “How do you keep a
shepherd busy? Write ’Please turn over’ on both sides of a stone. Did you hear
what happened when shepherd found out that most accidents occur at home? He
moved away.” And most importantly for today’s Gospel Lesson, the court officials
will not let any shepherds be witnesses in trials.
Tonight, we heard that the first visitors to the Christ Child are not emissaries
from the Roman government nor are they the local officials from the temple but
instead the initial people who God calls to see the Babe in the manger are the
shepherds. It is these rough and tough men, who have been cast out by society,
who go see a baby.
It seems entirely appropriate that shepherds are the ones who come to worship
in the stable. For our God is not one of the world’s powers. Christ’s birth does
not announce a new dictator that will force the world to bend to his will. Neither
will Jesus align Himself with the existing religions. Instead, if we let Him, Jesus
comes to shepherd His people.
He is the Good Shepherd. He will protect us. He will feed us. And He will
heal us.
The life of the shepherd in the field is never easy because the sheep are easily
led astray. We want to listen to other voices that tell us they will keep us safe at

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night. We would like to believe the story that the grass is greener across the fence.
We might even trust others with our care.
No matter when we leave the fold, the Good Shepherd comes after us. He
comes and finds us in good weather and in bad. He never takes any time off. And
just like in real life, this work requires the Shepherd getting dirty, smelly, and
weather-beaten.
Tonight, at this worship service or as our Roman Catholic brethren say Mass,
we remember this amazing miracle of God becoming our Good Shepherd. That is
why tonight’s service is called Christ Mass Eve. Our evening liturgy or Mass is
in the honor of Christ. Unfortunately the rest of the world has forgotten this basic
fact. That’s why they have dropped the last “S” from Christmass.
In the original language, the shepherd say repeatedly “Let us now go even
unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath
made known unto us. (KJV)” The shepherds were only at the manger because
God invited them. God has called you here tonight. Go back into the cities, the
towns, and even the fields and tell others what you have seen.
“The peace of God, which passeth all understanding, keep your hearts and
minds through Christ Jesus.”2

2
Philippians 4:7.